The following Articles were either written by LPG staff, or reposted by LPG staff with credit given to the original author. Some are Editorials in which we share our opinions on the industry. Others were written from our knowledge of working in the field for years. Finally we have research from LPG and or third parties.
Jan 24, 2024
One degree makes a big difference. Water is hot at 211 degrees. But at 212 degrees it boils, and boiling water generates steam, and that steam can power a locomotive. A while ago, I sent the sales managers we consult the clip for 212. You can view the ...
Jan 23, 2024
During the past 20 months I have had the chance to experience the Grecian work environment. The Greeks are known for partying hard (see My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and working a balanced schedule. On my travels abroad, I hear many complaints from Europeans ...
Jan 22, 2024
During a recent European trip, I noticed that the influence of Alexander the Great is still felt this day in Europe and Asia - some 2400 years after his death. There's been a resurgence of interest in Alexander because of the new film Alexander. ...
Jan 19, 2024
It's been approximately 40 years since marketing professor (and subsequent guru) Dr. Philip Kotler conceptualized the four Ps of marketing: product, price, place, and promotion. When I work with sales reps, I stress that when advertising campaigns ...
Jan 18, 2024
Your Number One job priority as a manager is to make your boss look good. Your boss' agenda always comes first. When I ask managers their most important job as a sales manager or general manager, the answer is always: "Take care of my customers, ...
Jan 17, 2024
Selling to someone with a massive ego can be one of the easiest sales to make. It can also be one of the hardest when a little mistake or infringement wrecks havoc with your chances of selling this person. The bigger the ego, the more fragile the psyche. ...
Jan 16, 2024
The days are over when fear was a driving motivator. Fear might work for shortterm gain, but in the long run, fear drives people out the door. The new adage for today's corporate climate should be "focus follows fun." What can you do at ...
Jan 15, 2024
A few years back, the "casual dress" fad went to such extremes that people came to work wearing jeans,T-shirts, and even "wife beaters." In my opinion, it was the worst thing that could happen to American business. What you wear around ...
Jan 12, 2024
Most managers I know have an open-door policy - although I think it's more a philosophy than a policy. My observations have led me to believe there are more closed doors than open doors in the managers' wing of a building. As a day-to-day manager ...
Jan 11, 2024
As a day-to-day sales manager, I loved 99 percent of my job: coaching, training, motivating and leading the troops. The one percent I hated was the Monday morning one-on-one meeting with each of the sales reps, in which we spent 30 minutes discussing ...
Jan 10, 2024
Most managers will agree that the most important factor separating the mediocre sales rep from the superstar rep is the efficient (and effective) management of time. The second most important factor: the average sale - or the number of our stations or ...
Jan 9, 2024
How important is it for retailers to know if their front-end help is running people out of the store, or hindering a consumer's return trip because of bad service? This information is vital - and if you can be the one to present it, wouldn't ...
Jan 8, 2024
You think you're running a tight ship? Here are five warning signs that can help you be more proactive in the way you manage your sales department. You must be open-minded, but the results could save you the experience of termination. 1) Staff Late ...
Jan 5, 2024
The title of this column is an old adage, but it is so true. Here is a typical scenario for many media properties around the world - a Monday in the life of a sales rep: 6:00 am: Alarm goes off 6:10 am, 6:20 am, 6:30 am, 6:40 am, 6:50 am: Alarm goes ...
Jan 4, 2024
Four days after one of my recent sales seminars, I received an e-mail from an attendee I'll call Ted, who was asked to resign from his sales job. After a little e-mail bantering, I asked him what had happened; it's not very often that management ...
Jan 3, 2024
How important is company-sponsored training when you're competing in recruitment against big companies that offer company cars to new sales reps? When prospective sales reps make a decision on where they will spend their next few years, here is the ...
Jan 2, 2024
In the world of outdoor advertising, black letters on a yellow background are the combination that has the best recall among drivers. Check billboards on your local highways those colors rise above the clutter. What does your sales staff do to get the ...
Dec 29, 2023
During my last market visit to Kelowna, British Columbia, I worked with the staff on proposal writing. As I scoped out the proposals about to leave the station, I noticed that something was missing. Sales reps often skip this item, which happens to be ...
Dec 28, 2023
In your selling career, hopefully, you will never be physically thrown out of a customer's business. Customers can become irate for many reasons. We must make sure we are not the reason for their frustration. When translated, an old Chinese proverb ...
Dec 27, 2023
The sweetest-sounding word in any language is your name coming off of someone else's lips. When someone knows your name after meeting you only once, you feel important, powerful, worthy of respect. You will go out of your way to do things for people ...
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